Reservoir for embalming fluid



June 26, 1951 w. c. SUTHERLAND, JR 2,558,279

RESERVOIR F OR EMBALMING FLUID Filed; Jan. 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR- W". GQSuHer/qncl, Jr. BY

After/1:16

June 26, 1951 w. c. SUTHERLAND, JR I 2,558,279

RESERVOIR FOR EMBALMING FLUID Filed Jan. 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTGR. M. C Su Her/and Jr. BY

Patented June 26, 1951 iWilliam- 0.. Sutherland, Jr.,

:-signor:.to'. H.-:S. -Eckels and (20.,

Goatesville, i Pa.,;as'-

1 Philadelphia,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 2, 1947, SerialNo. 719,890 -3 Claims. (Cl. 222-67) This invention relates tea-embalmingapparatus,

and particularly to a. tank: for-supplyingembalming; fluidxduring theembalming process.

' The fluid. customarily used. in modern embalmingipractice consists of.a formaldehydeisolution which is subject to deterioration if-e-Xposedto-.air. Therefore, it is important that an embalming fluid containerbecompletely emptied onceits seal is broken. For this'reason, fluidisxsupplied to embalmers in :relatively small containers,

usually having a capacity of two quarts.

"A disadvantage of this :practice, however, re-

sides in the 'factthat it is frequently diflicult to estimate the exactamount'of fluid required.

for any given embalming operation. Furthermore, it is extremelydesirable that no inter- .ruption occur in the flow ofv fluid, otherwisepoor results are obtained. It therefore :becomes an important problem inembalming technique to supply a continuous flow of fluid withoutinterruption, and-at the -same time to-uti1ize a con- .tainer .oflimited: capacity.

An object therefore of my invention" is to provide a reservoir forembalming-fluid which can be replenished without interrupting thecontinual flow of fluid, once the-embalming opera- 'tion has begun.

A further object is to provide '-a reservoir for A further objectof'the'invention is to provide a reservoir for embalming fluid having anauto matic valve preventing the pumping of air, should the reservoirbecome empty.

A further object is to provide an embalming fluid reservoir adapted tobe used with either compressed air or pump injection withoutmodiflcation of the reservoir.

A further object is to provide an embalming procedure permittinguninterrupted flow of embalming fluid from relatively small containers.

The invention resides further in certain structural and proceduraldetails contributing to the aforesaid primary ends, said details beinghereinafter described and illustrated in the attached drawings, in whichFig. l is a side elevation of my embalming fluid tank showing theexternal fittings; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tank shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the fluid tankindicated generally by 5 has an upper chamber 6 and a lower chamber 1,separated by wall 8. The upper chamber is provided with a large threadedcap 9 on which is a embalming fluid having dualselectively valvedpressure chambers.

manually controlled airvent" [0. Connection between the upper chamber :6and lower chamber 27 is established.throughexternal lines II and i2.line ll communicating with :the top of each :chamber, :Whereas line l2communicates with the 'bottomrof each chamber. Lines I1 and. [2'are'providedwith manually operated plug valves l.3:and M. Lower chamber1 has a conventional -glass gauge l5 externally'mounted .on tank-for thepurpose of indicating liquid level :within chamber 1. Lower chamber 1 isprovided also aconnection I 6 aflording access to :the top "of the lowerchamber and adapted for attach- 11161113 to a sourceof air pressure, notshown. -Lower chamber 7 has a-safety blow-off valve ll, also locatednear the upper portion of this charm ber. Fluid'egress-from-lowerchamber 1 is afforded through port I8 whichhas afloat op- -erated valvel9' of conventional design connected to-fl'oat 'ZQbymeans 'of arm 2|.When float 2%! is in the "position illustrated inFig. 1, valve [8:closesgthereby preventing further flow 'of fluid, or '2.ll',"0l1t'0fchamber '1. Preferably a manually actuated valve[ 80. is provided forclosing the port f8 when occasion'may require.

Ordinarily port IE will be connected directly to an injection line ortube, since air ,pressure in chamber lis suflicient for purposesofinjecting the embalming fluid. In the event that a fluid .pump 'isemployed ..in the injection line, com pressed air is not required andtherefore connection I6 is not utilized and may be closed by valve [6a.

The capacity of chambers 6 and 7 is approximately two quarts each, sincethis is the amount of embalming fluid in each container supplied to theembalming trade. Ordinarily, this amount of fluid is enough for a singleembalming operation, but should more fluid be required, it is desirablethat no interruption in the flow of fluid occur.

In the use of my improved tank, the fluid is poured into upper chamber6, cap 9 having been removed and valves l3 and I4 closed. The cap 9 isthen tightened in place and valves l3 and I4 opened, permitting thefluid in chamber 6 to flow downwardly into chamber 1 through line l2.Chamber 1 is vented into chamber 6 by means of line H. The amount offluid in chamber 1 is readily detected by reading sight gauge Hi. Whenthe fluid ceases to flow, valves l3 and I 4 are closed, the compressedair line applied to air connection 16, thereby subjecting fluid inchamber 1 to air pressure. The embalming operation,

in so far as the fluid is concerned, may then be begun.

When it appears from an inspection of the fluid level in gauge l5 thatmore fluid will be needed for the operation, cap 9 is removed andanother container of fluid emptied into upper chamber 6. Since thecapacity of upper chamher 6 is substantially equal to the amount offluid in a container, the chamber will be fllled by operation. After cap9 has been securely re placed, valves l3 and 14 are opened, and althoughthe pressure in chamber 1 is greater than the pressure in chamber 6, thepressure drop in charm her I due to the opening of valve 13 will benegligible. Fluid continues to pass through line 12 from chamber 6 intochamber 1, thereby replenishing the supply in the lower chamber. As

soon as all, or substantially all of the fluid has passed into the lowermay again be closed and the process repeated, if necessary. However,since there is now pressure in upper chamber 6, an additional filling ofthe chamber first requires that this air pressure be vented by means ofvalve 10.

The construction of my fluid tank is such that it is-readily adapted foruse with a fluid pump or with compressed air. When injection pressure issupplied by means of a pump, valves [3 and M may be left open during theoperation, it being only necessary to renew the fluid as required.

As a safety measure, should the fluid in lower chamber 1 becomeexhausted inadvertently, float 20 will close valve l9, therebypreventing the passage of any air into the injection apparatus throughfitting 58. This is an important feature, l

since it has been found extremely undesirable to have any air injectiontake place during the embalming process.

It will therefore be apparent that my improved whereby the pumping ofembalming fluid may be continued uninterruptedly once the operation isstarted, without the necessity of breaking the seal on more than onecontainer of fluid at a time,

thereby reducing waste and deterioration of fluid chamber, valves 13 andH fluid tank provides an inexpensive, simple means .4

.4 modifications may well be made without departure from the spirit ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A reservoir for embalming fluid comprising an upper chamber and alower chamber, an external air connection between the upper and lowerchambers, a manually operated valve for said air connection, an externalfluid connection between the upper and lower chambers, a manuallyoperated valve for said fluid connection, means for introducingcompressed air to the top of the lower chamber, a pressure tight lid forthe upper chamber, a, manually operated air vent for the upper chamber,a fluid delivery connection at the bottom of the lower chamber, and afloat operated valve in the fluid delivery line of the lower chamher.

2. In embalming apparatus, a container comprising an upper chamber and alower chamber, a connection for passage of gas from the upper part ofthe lower chamber to the upper chamber, a valve for said connectionhaving a manual actuator at the outside of the container, a connectionfor passage of liquid from the lower part of the upper chamber to thelower chamber, a valve for said liquid connection having a manualactuator at the outside of the container, means for introducing apressure gas into the lower chamber, a liquid supply port in the upperchamber, a pressure tight manually releasable closure for said port, aliquid delivery connection at the lower end of the lower chamber, avalve for said liquid delivery connection, and float means in the lowerchamber for actuating the valve.

3. Embalming apparatus according to claim 2 including a manuallyoperated vent for relieving gas pressure in the upper chamber.

WILLIAM C. SUTl-IERLAND, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 742,334 Kirkwood Oct. 27, 1903916,131 Evans Mar. 23, 1909 1,552,601 Strobel Jan. 13, 1925 1,759,727Baccich et al May 20, 1930 1,956,006 Coons Apr. 24, 1934

